


Two In (Study)

by blindtaleteller



Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [23]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and sass, Gen, M/M, Pre-FrostIron, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28083354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindtaleteller/pseuds/blindtaleteller
Summary: After a week of trying not to think about when they met; Tony gets caught being a man-child when he next spots Aaron (Loki) during the disguised prince's scheduled physical training time.
Relationships: Loki & Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark, frostiron, platonic - Relationship, pre-frostiron - Relationship
Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999015
Kudos: 10
Collections: Frostiron (loki/tony), Loki, Platonic Relationships, Prompted Writing





	Two In (Study)

**Author's Note:**

> Back to Universe/Door 11's Tony and Loki; waaaay, farther back in their personal history, during Tony's College days at M.I.T.: I thought I'd give a peek around the era where their story started. These two are as usual, very loud in my head.

  * IDENTIFY LOCATION: BELLOWS - DIMENSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED : HVRA0616-9H-11
  * \---INTER-UNIVERSAL DOORWAY ENTRY POINT H11 : OBSERVATIONAL STATUS - TVA INTERFERENCE : _NONE DETECTED_
  * \----MIDGARD NORTHERN HEMISPHERE : NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT : VISITATION CAUTIONS _ADVISED_ : MASSACHUSETTS; CAMBRIDGE
  * \------KNOWN DOMESTIC TIME VARIANCE : 4:46 PM US EST : 1990



##  **...=} TWO IN {=... **

Inside, wasn't helping Stark keep his concentration at the moment.

It wasn't the other guys in the house for once either; though it normally would have been any other time of the year: and yeah it was still kind of noisy. Fourteen late teen to early twenties, mostly over-privileged party boys? In _one_ house? Oh yeah; they got loud. Coming up on midterms though? Parents paying the bills and holding the ability to crack down on credit cards and bank accounts over their heads watching them grades; did tend to quiet things down. Comparatively, anyway.

So yeah, it wasn't the noise that had gotten Tony out of the door. It was actually the quiet, in that room; after everyone else had bailed into their own groups or headed off to meet friends for dinner when he still had work to do, leaving him alone in the big study they all shared at the back of the old, half brick three story townhouse. Not far enough from that big, overstuffed, comfy leather couch; even from the other side of the room. Able to see the back door Falconwrath had half carried him in, before Tony had stumbled over the fail attempt to get his own feet under him; and managed to trip them both sideways into the room and then over the arm of said couch.

Trying, over the tick of the big old grandfather clock standing in the corner, _really_ hard; _not_ to think about how it had made them both burst out laughing when it had literally struck twelve right then as a bad, ridiculous reminder of the weird revolving conversation they'd had when Aaron had dropped the fact he technically was an estranged foreign prince: where Tony was Cinderella and this time .. well actually he didn't think he could remember the whole pumpkin-shirts and dirty-golden-blond-carriages conversation without fixating on that broad smile hanging over him in the dark. Or how even after four tequilas and a try of what was becoming Tony's favorite bourbon; the guy somehow been frustratingly more steady all around than he had: even if he definitely had been at least tipsy.

Tipsy, and scarily charming, and yeah Tony could still admittedly, definitely see why he was considered by most of the guys in his house and half of campus as the only competition for Stark's most rakish playboy title. All he had to do was look. Just open those icy blue piercing peepers, and stick you with 'em? And you were done. Worse, when they were close up like that and you actually were the only other person in the room; never mind the sole focus of his attention. Add in the dark, and the fact someone had left the radio on in another room for mood music; and the conversations they'd had even _before_ escaping that dumb party weekend before last over the railing of a totally different study to have a much better time crammed into the corner booth of the bar four blocks down?

Yeah; when the laugh had died down? When he'd been smiling at him like that? Tony still had a hard time scraping the full realization of what had been leaned over and looking down at him, caught firmly half-fallen between his knees after the spill over the arm of the couch. Realized real quick where both their hands had landed, probably about the same time Aaron had. That awkward, instant switch his brain hit snapping him right back to the bar after his motor mouth had scared the girls off --or rather pissed them off enough to bail and pour a glass of water over his head-- and Falconwrath had implied he might have an easier time with guys when he was drunk.

Which had led to talking about their parents a bit; relationships, not-relationships, and the lack there in before the teasing and drink and his own mouth slid him right into asking point blank like an idiot about Aaron's rumored lack of interest in lines between genders as a thing that helped fuel his reputation among the gossip mongers on campus. And how easily he'd just shrugged and asked Tony if it mattered to him; which it hadn't. And .. dipped into the memory and reminder of not only how cool about, interested and easy he was to laugh at _Tony_ joking about his own experiments along one side, while definitely --when he looked back at it-- being super smooth about being _super_ defensive about anybody who might come into hearing range or give Stark a weird look for the subject between two attractive guys at that point sitting alone at the back corner of an otherwise secluded corner of a dark little bar mostly empty thanks to the parties going on across campus and off it at about half to midnight.

Couldn't forget the comparable quiet that had hung up between them, or how slow Aaron had been about moving; how long it took him to slip to the side and sit on the carpet and pull his eyes and hands last. Leaving Tony up there on the couch looking at him wondering if he'd been thinking about the same things. And whether he should really have been even thinking about pulling him back up there and trying out that little piece of reputation for himself. And for science, of course.

Which, his brain did not help in reminding him every time that; hey, _chemistry_ was science. And there was a _whole lot_ of _**that,**_ that had been going on on those cushions and even off them across the room before they'd both laughed it off.

They had a few classes. Not a lot, with Tony currently just kind of hopping back and forth between majors. Something dad was not happy about, but didn't have more than the usual pitch of applying himself and strapping down, and focusing on something; when he was learning a lot better than most of the other guys: even with his high-party-hard standards having just as much of a priority. Wasn't helping at the moment though. Coming in on time meant getting a face full of Aaron with those classes. Coming in late since then meant noticing he was already there on the far side, bent slightly so Stark could better see the outline of his shoulders against the back of whatever shirt he was wearing for that day; taking notes. Coming in early, meant he got the view of long legs carrying him to his usual seat ahead of him and to his left, and ended up watching the bend to those and his hands when he'd reach to rub along the back of his neck between points during Mayholme's lectures even when he was trying not to.

Tony could change seats sure. It wasn't like middle or high school where seats were assigned. At least not in the classes they shared. But. That would be way obvious one way or another: and a signal of some kind wouldn't it? When Tony really didn't know which direction he wanted to go never mind signal. Over all, one stumble-drunk night ending in the study had him confused, distracted, curious, a little jealous, and feeling like a complete idiot. Or at the least like he was fourteen again and stumbling over the idea of working up the right way of talking to his first real crush. Which was stupid. Because he was twenty now, several degrees under his belt; came from money and a great family reputation even if his own was ..well pretty much what most people expected really of a young man figuring and really fleshing out the many fun ways and shades through which horny could be solved as an equation.

Brunette, ginger, blond...

_Dark, dirty blond._

_Shut up._

_Sun-touched, not frosted at the ends. Looked soft._

_Shut it, brain._

_Gawd, long legs. Strong too. Got you four blocks home, no fumbles til we got there._

_Shush with the inappropriate noise!_

_Blue eyes for months, forget days. Little pieces of really pale green that shifted in different lights._

_I hate you._

_The smile! Don't forget that smile. Or how the dimple on his right is a little deeper than the left._

_....why: do you do this to me._

_Moonlight in that laugh. Moonlight, for fucks sake. And a fall carnival at his neck; hiding out in the dip of his collarbone. The only real hint it's there; the smell of fresh popcorn, and candied apples, and a little alcohol. Icy silver-blue-green clouds for eyes hanging over head, and that smile, that warm breath just right there. All the wonder looking up at it instead of down and thinking, needing to know if it tastes as good as it smells when you can see the sharp hill of his adam's apple swallowing down the implication you aren't the only one thinking it. Was it him asking without words there and you missed it, dummy? Or did you miss the windswept offer under his chin when you didn't realize you were the one asking?_

_And now look at him; temptation on the run. Literally. Trainer looks like she's trying to keep from enjoying the show too; the way she's so adamant about keeping three paces ahead of those long legs._

Because yeah, and there he was right then; running laps around the asphalt loop set down just for that around the little park between buildings: and damn it if that didn't look like exactly what was happening from where he'd propped himself unnoticed and completely dazed on that returning string of thoughts up against the nearest to him tree by a shoulder, tuck his binder and book under one arm, pocket his hands and get his own stare on before he'd even known it.

_..shit. I really do hate my brain sometimes. And how damned pretty he is._

Frustrating, that girl after girl; bad ones and good ones and the ones just digging for a fun boyfriend with money --it was college, he totally didn't blame or crank on those; nothing wrong with having fun while you're young-- and the first person he really ends up fixating on, really fixating on: was this guy? Mister snatched-out-of-high-school martial sciences prodigy, who already had his pilots license, was a disenfranchised backwards-assed prince from some country that forgot him otherwise but still left him a shit ton of money across the pond? How the _hell_ was this guy even _real?_

_Oh, yeah that's right. And **also** the accent. That purr he got when he quieted down and you were close enough?_

" _...for fucks sake, **really..?**_ " was so annoyed with his own head he was rubbing his eyes with the one hand and a whole wad of that frustration right behind it. Came out here to study; and get _away_ from captain pretty pants though. So, of course he was right there running circles around Tony's favorite outdoor study spot. Because and of course he was. Because god, whatever passed for it, and his awful brain were conspiring against him the last week: so why not? His mouth was open; was a thing he caught as Aaron bounced along the path on those long legs. Not wide, but pushing breath in ways that made him wonder at things his head shouldn't be going at a week after meeting him for the first time. Or be spouting poetic crazy moon-song to string through his rational thoughts and keep him from not thinking about it.

_And where it goes: the way he says your name?_

_But oh no, not just your name; Tony: he says your **whole** first name. Anthony. All three syllables. Makes it sound like a proposition, **all** by itself. _

And oh that ticked him off more than a little. Didn't help he was so zoned out Aaron still didn't see him standing there on his third time passing.

Tony was chucking the paper-wrapped eraser at the back of his perfect head before he even knew what he was doing; because not fair he was so damned wrapped up in the guy after one fucking meeting and; screw you pal for not even noticing me and my traitor brain trying to play pining princess!

**_Score!_** Right in the back of that big ol' braincase! **One hundred points!** And _..shit._ Aaron stopped.

Stark was behind that tree way fast. Heard the trainer calling the question of his name after him when she noticed. Listening, hiding out behind the tree like a little bitch, but hey. Excusable mostly for the fact that was just the kind of moment it was maybe? He had to check his watch, after he got to the point he felt like he was going to be comparable to a plum; holding his breath that long. Held up a tight _'screw-off crazy, I'm hiding here_ ' wave after, when Alice Maize and her pack of glaring fashion fangirls strolled by. And then stopped further over to giggle and gawk at he knew exactly who, even before Alice put on her _'pretty as I am psychotic'_ runway smile and called it out in a tone he knew way too well was poison under all the sappy sweet sing song she sprinkled over it. " **Oh!** Hi Aaron!! " and his shit timing took a peek around the tree just in time for Alice to point out " ..your competition's _scoping you out,_ you know! " and get him to glare right back at team crazyslut.

_I **will** tell him, about your love for needles on night one; and freaking out about the color of your fucking eggs in the morning, I swear._

" Oh? "

_Don't you dare.._

The point at his cover. _You bitch._ " _Yeah,_ Stark's gone stalker. "

Yeah Tony was outed extra by the giggles that got; and he was sticking on his gameface smile and turning on the one heel out into view when he said " Oh, _that;_ I know. " to make it worse and hop the eraser he'd wrapped and thrown in one hand. " He's been tossing me love letters. " to make Tony start wadding up another piece and calmly, as Aaron unfolded it from it's crumple again and showed that not only did he not grab an empty piece that first time, but he'd grabbed the one he'd been doodling on, with his name all over it. Smile please; pick up your pace to _chase him down the run_ past his fucking _trainer_ shouting " ..get back here and turn around! I need to get the other side! Right in the nose! "

Which only made the gorgeous bastard laugh at him and pick up that pace to a full on sprint that for Tony was also making him determined to catch up with even in loose jeans cause, _fuck you Wrath!_ Cutting across the middle of the yard where the benches were; didn't even know where he dropped his stuff: didn't care either. Almost _got_ him! Fingers brushing his shirt when he pushed and half jumped an extra foot to bounce ahead by that little margin still not having left the track himself and laughing like a nut at him when they passed his trainer again: and his book. There it was but nope!

" I'm **gonna** catch ya! And _**when**_ I do Imma make you _**eat** those notes!_ "

" **No!** It's too cute! How many times _did_ you write my name?! " which was bullshit, but on the next turn, with laps? Two in, and himself cheating: showed him that the crazy fangirl club had put on their disgusted snark faces seeing the effect was _not_ the mean girl effect they hoped for and was stepping off; with the foreground of that breathed smile and the waving enticement of said paper being flagged at shoulder level. " ..what _is_ this, fourteen? "

_**So** gonna kiss him when I catch him._

**KILL!** _KILL him,_ not... ...ARG; fuck **you,** brain!!

" _**Wow,**_ the _sudden_ motivation! Maybe you should bring him with you _every_ session...? " called after them as they went into lap three from the trainer again, and; _okay._

_All right._

Taking a quick study of it all; how little else he was capable of _anyway_ right now?

The rise and dip of the shallower dimple at the left side of the grin he could see on the sprinting dirty blond nut in front of him?

He couldn't help it.

Now, Tony was smiling.


End file.
